The Portland daily press., 1887-03-14
ANECDOTES OF WAGNER.
ToId BY Anton seldI in New Yorl


Told by Anton seidi in New York.
On the occasion Of his Berlin concerts in
1875. when he performed fragments from
"Die Gotterdammerung, for the first time in
that city, very short time was allowed for the
preparation and it was found necessary to
call rehearsal for religious holiday on
which no Berlin musician had ever been
known to touch his instrument. The men
seemed doubtful Wagner said, Gentle
men, then will return home" At once
there was unanimous demand for the re-
hearsal. The harpist was fellow who was
always in financial straits On the day of
the general rehearsal he had been obliged to
surrender his harp to an officer of the law.
Now he sat at home in his dismantled room
and waited for something to turn up Veg
ner paid his debts, redeemed the harp, and
in the evening the harpist sat In his place
and took part in the concert. Whenever he
went on concert trips or visits to friends his
presence was always celebrated with seren-
AIDES. morning concerts, parades or banquets.
The most diyerting 'intermezzi" generally
happened to the conductors of military bands,
for Wagner was generally honored with per-
formances of his own music with the tempt
all taken wrong. A few years ago he lodged
for some time with his family in hotel in
Dresden, vis-a-yis to the Hoftheatre. 1.-THE
Flying Dutchman' was in rehearsal one
morning and Wagner seated at his window
heard the chorus at practice. He sent over
a messenger with the request that at night
the choruses be sung In tempt directly oppo-
site to those taken at the rehearsal Then,
he said. fhHV wOnld lQ ounfbar
time, while he was eating at the table d'hote,
very good military band serenaded him
ana played among other things, the overture
to der Freischntz Wagner endured it as
long as possible, then jumped through the
window in his haste to make an end of the
torture, and rushed up to the leader. Where
did you get that tempO?" he asked. eve
always heard it so at the OPERA rejoined
the leader We'll then listen to me-" said
Wagner, and starting the band over again he
conducted 1t through the overture. In Ham,
burg, Cologne, in fact wherever he went, he
wasthe recipient of these irritating atten-
lions In Berlin the late Prof. Stern perform
the faust overture in his honor. The pub
Tic appauded vigorously, but Wagner went
to the CONDUCTORS desk, picked up the baton
and begged the musicians to repeat the over
ture undsr his direction. The public scarce
~ recognized the work as the same one they
had listened to moment before. When he
mad completed the prelude to "Parsifap' he
PoAAoAhicu tSMltu iii OICubStId calleu IOr the
purpose from Meiningen for the pleasure of
his wife, who's birthday he thus celebrated.
Inc KING OF Bavaria, hearing of this, called
MN 10 Munich md asked for performance
there Tor his beieft Wagner acceded to the
Wish 81 TINS greas patron. The king came
from his mountain castle, and one afternoon
the theatre was locked up, the audience room
darkened, the king tat in his box, and Wag-
| ner rehearsed the prelude, which had already
been studied by the orchestra. The whole
thing lasted perhaps half an hour and the
musicians spoke with enthusiasm of the ire
mendous effect which hi, conducting had on
the simple piece of music. After his career
as Hofkapellmeister at Dresden lie seldom
| conducted entire operas. He anxiously a.
voided the intense excitement which such
| work entails. In the spring of 1876 he went
to Vienna and conducted the performance Of
"Lohengrin," without excsions, for the ben
| eft of the pension fund of the Hoftneatre.
! The delight of the public was enthusiastic
the newspapers were unanimous n the opin-
| ion that the 60-year-Old Wagner surpassed
the 30-year-old condu ctors in youthful fresh
ness, vigor and endurance. Even his great
| est opponent, Edward Hanslick, on that &C.
casion wrote enthusiastically about hin con-
Quoting.
men ana psssts Notwithstanding that Mathis isd for
Ossai mental work made him subject IL 40 ~ ~
yons attacks which showed thamse,vosn ISL
quick temper and rudeness. To see an ami
NAL tortured would throw him info q rago
ms sympathetic trait Is Of great signi6-
canoe In an estimate OF the mans character.
lie had great prediction for fine large
dogs. Already in Paris, when he Scarcely
had enough food for himself, he kept big
nlack dog, and gave occasion to much curioS.
Ivy ana many witticisms about the young
German musician with his big dog. The in
Innate friends OF his later years all knew big
Russ, who had been his faithful Companion
during his sojOurns in Switzerland and Mn
nlch: Russ died in Bairenth and Wagner had
MIN buried in his. garden, and handsome
monument reared over his grave. The mas
ter was warm sympathizer with and adj
mirer Of the society for the prevention of
cruelty to animals, which few years ago
was organized in Germany. He became a
public advocate OF the society.
When about to start for Berlin to conduct
the Y minor symphony, some of the officials
and notables of Baireuth accompanied him
TO the station. 1t was market day, on which
many people from the neighhoring villages
come to Baireuth to make purchases. While
wagner was walking up and down the sta
tion platform with the burgomeister and
with a cloth. A movement of the cloth at
tracted Wagners attention. He stopped in
MS walk and asked a pastors wife, who sat
beside the basket, what the latter contained.
She answered "a fish," Wagner pulled off
the cloth and there lay gasping, struggling
fish. Almost beside himself with rage. he
Tell to upbraic ing the woman for her cruelty
to the animal and then called wildly for a
knife to kill it anG release it from its suffer-
ings. The incident threw him into such a
state OF excitement that he could not board
till next day.
At the last performance of "Parsifap' in
1882, Wagner conducted the last scene OF the
thlrd act Soon after he went to Venice and
there In the hall Of the Conservatorio he con-
Quoted performance of his youthful sym-
Pnony composed In 1882, The work had been
was composed. Fifty years after Wagner.
as II under the Influence of premonitinn ~
his approaching death, performed it again to
give his wife last pleasure. He wrote to
me- was then travelling in Holland and
Wagner Theatre asking me to get q leays
OF absence for at least week and come to
Venice to conduct the preparatory rehearsals.
lie already felt his inability to endure such
an exertion. Herr Neumanh Thought the
lnriopgh would endanger the undertaking in
y ~. ~ we were embarked, and so lost the
i n cnance 70 see wagner again alive. He
conducted the rehearsals himself. and fine
performance, which took place In the nres.
ence OF his wife and few friends, on the
second Christmas day, 1882. When he had
ed ai ne laid down the baton and whis-
yum letzten Nal dirigirt" (Now Lave direc-
ted for the last time. Two months later he |
was no longer among the living. The last |
letter that he wrote was to my director He
spoke In 1t in hearty appreciation of the en- |
.eTprlse ann expressed his hope for its long |
existence and usefulness. The last words OF |
he letter were: Nun lebt allie wohl und BILE |
lot mir treu! Farewell, and be faithful t1
ne!D The letter arrived one day after the
telegram announcing the masters death.
A Severe ArraIonpoact